1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to lighted walking aids. It more particularly relates to an adjustable offset cane which may provide illumination of the walkway for the user.
2. Background Art
There is no admission that the background art disclosed in this section legally constitutes prior art.
Typically, people who need to use a walking aid such as a cane, crutches or a walker, are more likely to trip over obstacles and fall due to their difficulty with walking when attempting to walk in dimly lit or dark locations. There have been a variety of walking aids equipped with lights to assist the user in viewing the obstacles and hopefully to avoid tripping and falling. For example, reference may be made to the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,562,850; 5,197,501; 5,810,466; and 6,463,947.
In an attempt to illuminate the path of a user, several walking aids equipped with lights have been proposed. U.S. Pat. No. 4,562,850, titled Combination Walking Cane, Path Light and Upright Device, describes a cane having a forward facing light projecting from the cane near the bottom tip of the cane. Due to its proximity to the ground, this light would only illuminate a small area around the tip of the cane. Furthermore, the location of the light near the bottom of the cane makes it more likely that the light would make contact with an object and potentially be damaged or broken. Additionally, the wiring for the light extends from the bottom of the adjustable cane to the end of its handle, so the wiring will be subject to movement every time the cane height is adjusted, which could lead to wiring failures.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,197,501, titled Multi-Purpose Cane, discloses a cane having a moveably mounted light disposed on the outside of the middle section of the cane for allowing the light to be rotated in various directions, but is, of course, limited to a single desired direction only. This cane is not shown as being adjustable in its length.
Another approach is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,810,466, titled Walking Cane. This patent discloses a cane which includes a flashlight-sized device serving as the handle of the cane and a gas filled tube light in the leg section of the cane. Due to the angle of the handle of this cane when the cane is in its generally vertical intended support manner during use, it appears that the user may have difficulty supporting himself or herself with the cane in certain circumstances. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1, when the handle/light is held inclined downwardly to illuminate the path in front of the user, the shaft of the cane is inclined angularly rearwardly at an angle such that the user may not be able to support himself or herself adequately with the cane in at least some circumstances. Due to the structure of this cane with the gas filled tube light in the mid portion of its leg section, the light provided by the tube would be of little use to the user, as the tube light is raised up from the ground and located by a great distance to the rear of the user when the cane is used in the position shown in FIG. 1. Also, this cane would not be adjustable in length.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,463,947, titled Directionally Illuminating Walking Aid, discloses an offset cane having a light disposed near the tip of the cane. The light may be directionally controlled by the use of at least one vertical reflector to direct the light outwardly of the shaft of the cane in one desired direction. Light rings may be included above and/or below the vertical reflectors to allow light to radiate in all directions. The structure of this cane also does not allow it to be adjustable in length.